1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner of the type for household use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vacuum cleaners of various designs are used in residential and commercial applications for cleaning. These vacuum cleaners create a suction airflow that picks up dirt and dust particulates from a surface that is to be cleaned. The vacuum cleaner separates these particulates from the ingested air for later disposal.
One type of vacuum cleaner design is a canister style vacuum cleaner with a water bath. Water bath vacuum cleaners typically include a main housing with a removably attached water bath pan. The ingested particulates are directed into a water bath that absorbs most of the particulates. The particulates are directed through an inlet in the main housing of the vacuum cleaner to an intake opening in the water bath pan. The primary advantage of the water bath filter is that vacuum efficiency is not compromised as more dirt and dust is accumulated in the water bath, and no further filtering is viewed as necessary. The dust and dirt are trapped in the water bath as the incoming air is directed into the water bath pan and circulated within. Traditional filtering media allow the flow of air through the filtering media to be impeded by the accumulation of the dirt and dust that has collected thereon. However, just as traditional filter media will allow very tiny microscopic particles to escape capture, the water bath may also fail to capture all of the very small or microscopic particles that are light enough to remain suspended in the air as the air is circulated in the water bath pan.
The water bath vacuum cleaners typically include a separator assembly that is used to further separate particulates from the ingested air that escapes entrapment within the water bath. Additionally, the separator can separate particulates that are entrained within water droplets that are ingested into the separator. The separator provides additional filtration by centrifugation. The process of centrifugation involves apply a centrifugal force to an air mass having particulates. The air mass is drawn into an annular chamber via intake openings in the separator. The chamber spins at a high angular velocity causing the particulates within the air mass to be forced outwardly toward the outer wall of the chamber. The particulates are then exhausted through upwardly through the open end of the separator.
While the separator assemblies discussed above perform satisfactorily, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved separator for a vacuum cleaner that more effectively separates fine dust and dirt particulates from the intake air.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved separator that reduces foaming caused by the addition of cleaning chemicals and fragrances to the water bath.
It is a further object of the present invention to increase airflow into the separator such that separation can be increased more efficiently.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved separator that more effectively removes particulates from water droplets ingested into the separator.
The above objects of the present invention are provided by a new and improved separator assembly for a vacuum cleaner that utilizes curved longitudinal vanes to improve separation of particulates from the air stream and utilizes a plurality of secondary particle impacting vanes to trap particulates within the separator.
In a preferred embodiment, the vacuum cleaner comprises a housing, a motor disposed within the housing and having an output shaft, and a fan coupled to the output shaft. The fan generates a vacuum airflow through an air intake port in the housing. A separator is operably coupled to the output shaft and is used to separate dust and dirt particulates entrained in air ingested through the intake port. The separator has a body that defines a longitudinal axis of rotation and the motor drives the separator to rotate about the axis. The body includes an upper lip and a bottom portion interconnected by a plurality of longitudinally extending vanes. Each vane has a first end connected to the upper lip and a second end connected to the bottom portion wherein the first end is positioned above the second end within a vertical plane that incorporates the vane and the longitudinal axis of rotation. The first and second ends are interconnected by a curved flow surface for increased particulate separation as the body rotates about the axis of rotation.
In one preferred embodiment, the longitudinally extending vanes are used to increase airflow into the separator by having a curved flow surface that curves about an axis that extends along the length of each of the vanes. Preferably, the longitudinally extending vanes are tapered with respect to the axis of rotation.
In another preferred embodiment, the longitudinal curved vanes include means to reduce foaming caused by the addition of chemicals to the water bath.
In one embodiment, the separator includes secondary particle impacting vanes that trap particulates within the separator by having a curved flow surface that extends along the length of the vanes. The secondary particle impacting vanes are orientated transversely with respect to the longitudinally extending vanes.
Accordingly, the present invention will utilize the separator to have significantly improved separation of small particle sizes. The secondary particle impacting vanes provide a means for trapping particulates that enter the inner section of the separator. The longitudinally extending curved vanes increase airflow into the separator as a result of lower aerodynamic losses. The cross-sectional shape of the longitudinally extending curved vanes allows the vanes to be nested with respect to each other to increase the overall number of vanes in the separator, which increases overall separation efficiency. The improved separator design utilizes longitudinal curved vanes and secondary particle impacting vanes to improve separation of particulates, which thereby increases the overall efficiency of the vacuum cleaner.